Impact of a binary triage system and structural reorganization of emergency department on health care workers exposed to suspected COVID-19 patients—a single-centre analysis
Abstract Background A binary triage system based on infectivity and facilitated by departmental restructuring was developed to manage suspected COVID-19 patients with an aim to provide effective prevention and control of infection among health care workers (HCWs) in the emergency department. This st...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMC
2021-09-01
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| Series: | International Journal of Emergency Medicine |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12245-021-00384-3 |
| _version_ | 1818450029965213696 |
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| author | Mahathar Abd. Wahab Sufian Safaai Ismail Mohd Saiboon |
| author_facet | Mahathar Abd. Wahab Sufian Safaai Ismail Mohd Saiboon |
| author_sort | Mahathar Abd. Wahab |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background A binary triage system based on infectivity and facilitated by departmental restructuring was developed to manage suspected COVID-19 patients with an aim to provide effective prevention and control of infection among health care workers (HCWs) in the emergency department. This study analyses the effectiveness of the new triage system and structural reorganization in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods A cross-sectional observational study was conducted in the Emergency and Trauma Department, Hospital Kuala Lumpur (ETDHKL). The implementation of a binary triage system separates patients with risk of COVID-19 who present with fever and respiratory symptoms from other patients. Data on exposed HCWs to COVID-19 patients were captured pre-restructuring and post-restructuring of the emergency department and analysed using descriptive statistics. Results A total of 846 HCWs were involved in this study. Pre-restructuring reported 542 HCWs exposed to COVID-19 patients while post-restructuring reported 122. Using the four categorical exposure risks for HCWs which are no identifiable risk, low risk, medium risk, and high risk, the number of HCWs exposed during pre-restructuring were 15(1.8%), 504 (59.6%), 15 (1.8%), and 8 (0.9%), respectively, while post-restructuring the numbers were 122 (14.4%), 8 (0.9%), 109 (12.9%), and 5 (0.1%), respectively. There was a 77.5% reduction in the number of exposed HCWs after our implementation of the new system (542 vs 122). Conclusion A binary triage system based on severity and infectivity and supported with structural reorganization can be effective in reducing HCWs COVID-19 exposure. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-14T20:44:49Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-2292b41f56694aa49515be3461988ef0 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1865-1372 1865-1380 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-14T20:44:49Z |
| publishDate | 2021-09-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | International Journal of Emergency Medicine |
| spelling | doaj.art-2292b41f56694aa49515be3461988ef02022-12-21T22:48:07ZengBMCInternational Journal of Emergency Medicine1865-13721865-13802021-09-0114111010.1186/s12245-021-00384-3Impact of a binary triage system and structural reorganization of emergency department on health care workers exposed to suspected COVID-19 patients—a single-centre analysisMahathar Abd. Wahab0Sufian Safaai1Ismail Mohd Saiboon2Emergency and Trauma Department, Kuala Lumpur HospitalEmergency and Trauma Department, Kuala Lumpur HospitalDepartment of Emergency Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM)Abstract Background A binary triage system based on infectivity and facilitated by departmental restructuring was developed to manage suspected COVID-19 patients with an aim to provide effective prevention and control of infection among health care workers (HCWs) in the emergency department. This study analyses the effectiveness of the new triage system and structural reorganization in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods A cross-sectional observational study was conducted in the Emergency and Trauma Department, Hospital Kuala Lumpur (ETDHKL). The implementation of a binary triage system separates patients with risk of COVID-19 who present with fever and respiratory symptoms from other patients. Data on exposed HCWs to COVID-19 patients were captured pre-restructuring and post-restructuring of the emergency department and analysed using descriptive statistics. Results A total of 846 HCWs were involved in this study. Pre-restructuring reported 542 HCWs exposed to COVID-19 patients while post-restructuring reported 122. Using the four categorical exposure risks for HCWs which are no identifiable risk, low risk, medium risk, and high risk, the number of HCWs exposed during pre-restructuring were 15(1.8%), 504 (59.6%), 15 (1.8%), and 8 (0.9%), respectively, while post-restructuring the numbers were 122 (14.4%), 8 (0.9%), 109 (12.9%), and 5 (0.1%), respectively. There was a 77.5% reduction in the number of exposed HCWs after our implementation of the new system (542 vs 122). Conclusion A binary triage system based on severity and infectivity and supported with structural reorganization can be effective in reducing HCWs COVID-19 exposure.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12245-021-00384-3COVID-19Health care workerTriage systemEmergency department structure |
| spellingShingle | Mahathar Abd. Wahab Sufian Safaai Ismail Mohd Saiboon Impact of a binary triage system and structural reorganization of emergency department on health care workers exposed to suspected COVID-19 patients—a single-centre analysis International Journal of Emergency Medicine COVID-19 Health care worker Triage system Emergency department structure |
| title | Impact of a binary triage system and structural reorganization of emergency department on health care workers exposed to suspected COVID-19 patients—a single-centre analysis |
| title_full | Impact of a binary triage system and structural reorganization of emergency department on health care workers exposed to suspected COVID-19 patients—a single-centre analysis |
| title_fullStr | Impact of a binary triage system and structural reorganization of emergency department on health care workers exposed to suspected COVID-19 patients—a single-centre analysis |
| title_full_unstemmed | Impact of a binary triage system and structural reorganization of emergency department on health care workers exposed to suspected COVID-19 patients—a single-centre analysis |
| title_short | Impact of a binary triage system and structural reorganization of emergency department on health care workers exposed to suspected COVID-19 patients—a single-centre analysis |
| title_sort | impact of a binary triage system and structural reorganization of emergency department on health care workers exposed to suspected covid 19 patients a single centre analysis |
| topic | COVID-19 Health care worker Triage system Emergency department structure |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12245-021-00384-3 |
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